Senator Bennet ignored Coloradoans but will listen to Massachusetts voters
January 21st, 2010
Bennet ignored Coloradoans but listens to Massachutsetts voters.
Just two months ago Senator Michael Bennet took what Democrats felt was a principled stand on health care reform. He famously told CNN’s John King that he would vote in favor of the legislation, even if it cost him his job (watch the video below).
Only 41% of Coloradoans say they support Obamacare but that apparently mattered little to the senator. Bennet would go on to vote in favor of the legislation against his constituents’ wishes.
Of course as a representative of the people you would think that our opinion would be worth something but that wasn’t the case. Bennet chose to follow his party blindly and ignore the will of Colorado.
Fast forward to today.
The fact that Coloradoans did not want Obamacare didn’t matter to Senator Bennet. But, he does apparently care what Massachusetts voters say after Republican Scott Brown was elected.
In a statement following the Democrats’ stunning defeat Bennet said, “Last night the voters of Massachusetts’s didn’t just elect a Senator, they sent a message to Washington that I have heard all across Colorado – they want their leaders to listen to them and not the special interests.”
He has ‘heard all across Colorado’ that the people expect their elected leaders to listen to them and yet Bennet ignored Coloradoans and had no problem listening to special interests like the unions who help fill his campaign coffers. Now, since Massachusetts residents say it is a bad idea, he thinks maybe he should listen to them. What?
David Harsanyi of the Denver Post put it nicely yesterday:
So why would a courageous Senator — willing to pass health care reform even if Colorado voters ousted him — give one whit about the message Massachusetts sent Washington yesterday? Not very long ago, the Senate bill was worth losing his seat over but now he’s making decisions based on what folks in Nantucket are telling Washington?
In the wake of Brown’s stunning victory in Massachusetts, Democrats across the nation have been served a major wake up call. Those elected officials that are vulnerable better tread lightly, none more so than our own Senator Michael Bennet. A senator that listens to people from another state 2,000 miles away but won’t listen to his constituents in his home state won’t be a senator for long.
Time go, Senator Bennet. You backed the party line right up until it became apparent that voters were fed up. This type of act of political self preservation doesn’t cut it. We need someone who will represent the will of the folks he represents, whether he agrees with them or not.
I sent Bennett a letter telling him why I am against the health care bill, and he sent a canned response telling why it’s awesome and that he’s voting for it. I responded, and said that if he votes for it I will dedicate my time and money to ensure that he celebrates his last New Year’s Day as a senator from Colorado. His response? Another canned note saying health care reform is awesome and he’s all for it. A trained monkey could press the button for the Democrats and it would cost us a lot less than it does to have Bennett in place. I can’t wait for him to get voted out.